Callosity
by Kotama
Summary: Sayo had enough problems of her own. She didn't need a second mind giving her thoughts and memories that contradicts her own. Her life is her own and she isn't about to gallivant around changing things a dead person wants changed. "You have to stop it." "And it's irrational thinking like this that probably caused your early death." Semi OC/Self-Insert
1. Sayo Koizumi

**CALLOSITY**

_Was this life fake and my other memories real? Or was this life real and my other memories fake?_

_. . . Does it even matter . . ._

**CHAPTER ONE**

The impact of his kick finally managed to send her to the ground, causing her to grunt. She panted as Tsubayashi-sensei called the match. Sweat ran down her face as she stared wide-eyed and gaping at her opponent.

Their classmates began to chatter, some even laughed.

She pushed her hands against the ground to rebound back onto her feet. She rubbed her hands against the side of her black capris as she stepped closer to her sensei and opponent. The two students bowed, ending their spar.

They made their way back to the crowd the rest of the class made. She could tell by his dazed eyes, slack posture, and his silence that he was astonished he'd just won. There was a moment of silence between the two. She looked to her left where she could see Genma staring at her with a mocking smirk. Her gaze lingered a moment, ignoring the names called for the next fight.

"It-You. . ." Her stumbling caught the boy clad in green's attention. "It was a good match. Congratulations. You've really improved, Guy," she said.

Guy smiled brightly and eyes lit with joy. It seemed reality was finally catching up with him. "I really won?" He made a fist pump and his excitement levels drastically increase. "Wha hoo!" His celebration were odd movements that resembled a stiff monkey more than anything. He grabbed her hands when he remembered someone had been talking to him. "You were a fierce opponent, Sayo. Watch. This is only the first step. One day I'll become a taijutsu master."

Sayo's lips forcefully quirk up.

"I'll beat you someday. Just you watch," called the loser of the current match.

Sayo sighed. Some things never seemed to change.

Obito huffed as he made his way back to his classmates. He sat in front of Sayo after looking at Rin.

Sayo places a hand on Obito's shoulder. "Not our day, huh."

Obito's frown disappeared but he still didn't particularly look happy. "How did you lose to Guy? This is Guy we're talking about and taijutsu is your specialty."

She clenched her fists, closed her hooded brown eyes, and inhaled. Obito held his breath. She opened her eyes and grinned. Her posture doing a one-eighty, looking quite relaxed.

"Eh."

Sayo pulled Obito back and slung an arm around his shoulder. "I know what will make us feel better. I have just the plan."

* * *

"Are you sure no one will get hurt?" Obito stared down at the depth of the hole they just dug outside the front doors.

"Well it's always a possibility."

"Eh!" Obito's eyes widen and looked around frantically to see if anyone was in the vicinity. This could be going a bit too far.

"They're ninja in training. If they fall for this are they really ready yet," Sayo said in a light, teasing tone. She stopped her set-up to stare at her friend. "Besides, they call you dead last and demean you. Wouldn't you like to see them fail." It's become the standard excuse with his involvement.

Obito was conflicted-his emotions are always displayed for the world to see. He thought a lot of the pranks Sayo did were a little mean, but he did enjoy the reactions of the victim and Sayo took all the blame (usually). Aw, who was he kidding. He thought this every time. Yet, in the end, his response would always be- "Aw fine, let's finish this. I hope Kurata falls for it." He really wished Kakashi was still in their class if only for him to be at the receiving end of Sayo's pranks. He was envious of his early graduation but he didn't like him. He was too stiff, too reserved, and the other girls talked about him. _Rin_ talked about him.

He then noticed that the hole they dug disappeared. "Hey! Where'd it go? We did not just dig for an hour for nothing." His eyes scanned where the hole should have been. He went to touch the ground only to be pulled back by the collar of his jacket.

"Don't be stupid. It's still there. It's just a tiny genjutsu. It isn't very strong but it should be good enough for those that aren't expecting it," she said as she pulled him along back towards their classroom.

"Where'd you learn that?"

"Here and there."

Obito waved his arms in protest. "That's not fair-tell me."

Sayo lifted a finger to her lips. "Shh."

She opened the door to the classroom and bowed to Tsubayashi-sensei who immediately stopped his lesson to address the two stragglers. "And where were you two?" His tone left no room for excuses.

Obito was tongue-tied. He was terrible with excuses. What was he supposed to say?

"Sorry for our tardiness. Obito wasn't feeling well from lunch. His cooking sucks," said Sayo in a deadpanned manner.

Obito stared at Sayo in shock. His cooking wasn't that bad. Okay, maybe it didn't taste too good, but it was edible. Though he did get food poisoning that one time. . .

. . . but he swears it isn't his fault.

Their peers, however, seemed to recall the time the dead-last puked his lunch up in their class two years ago. They would never forget it.

Tsubayashi-sensei knew Obito was an orphan. Honestly, his clan could have done more to help the young boy out. Tsubayashi almost let their lateness go until he remembered he was dealing with the platinum blonde Kiri girl. "And what were you doing out of the class, Sayo."

"With him of course."

"Is this true?" He looked at Obito who only nodded because he didn't trust his voice. "Then both of you take a seat. We've wasted enough time.

Obito noticed an empty seat next to Rin but he was too embarassed of Sayo's excuse so he sat next to someone else who in turn slid further away from the Uchiha in fear of being puked on. He glowered. Why him?

Unlike Obito, Sayo was quite content to be able to sit next to Rin.

_Is he alright?_ Rin wrote on a sheet before sliding it over for Sayo to see.

_He's going to go to the hospital after classes. He's been feeling ill for a while now but he's been hiding behind that smile of his. _Sayo wrote back. Rin gasped before covering her mouth and looking at the concern on her friend's face.

Rin picked up her pencil and was about to write back when a whisper came from behind. "It's obviously a lie, Rin. Sayo's messing with you."

Rin looked back at the exasperated Chiyo Tachibana before back to Sayo. Chiyo was her best friend and she had become quite close to Sayo in the past year. When she noticed Sayo's boredom, she realized she fell for it again.

"Did you have to spoil it," Sayo whispered back.

"Just think of it as payback for the times you've tricked me," replied Chiyo.

Tsubayashi-sensei caught Chiyo's lips move and her smirk. "Chiyo."

"Y-Yes." Startled, Chiyo stood up from her seat stiffly.

"Would you be so kind as to tell the class how the Second Great Shinobi War ended?" Sensei crossed his arms. These kids deserved time to be kids but he was going to have them be prepared. There graduation test was soon and it was his job to have them prepared. Standards were lowered so he had no doubt that all, if not most of them, would end up becoming genin. They were once again in war, and it was beginning to escalate. They needed more ninja and he wasn't going to send them unprepared.

Chiyo gave her best attempt at an answer. Some of their classmates laughed at the situation Chiyo got herself into.

Sayo frowned. Her fingers lightly touched her head.

Rin noticed and mouthed, "Everything okay?"

Sayo nodded and Rin's attention returned to Sensei. At that time Sayo flipped a few pages in her notebook and scribbled odd lines. _Rin. La tortue géante à trois queue. Guerre. _She stopped and tapped her pencil against the paper. She used the eraser on the end to erase the meaningless dots that remained. She left a large gap before writing a few more words on the bottom. _Sécond Guerre mondiale. Eugénisme. Millions dead._

Her eyes lingered on the sheet before returning to her note page, acting as if she hadn't just wrote anything.

Suddenly, she remembered something. Flipping the page once she ripped a piece off and wrote _Don't leave through the front door. Tell Chiyo too._

The message left Rin confused with a nervous clench of her stomach.

* * *

Sayo laughed from her seat on a nearby tree. The amount of students who fell into the hole was amusing. And without Obito's knowing, she added an extra little something.

Obito owlishly blinked several times when some of the kids were able to get out of the hole.

"Don't worry, I'll get sensei," one student who managed to get out, completely covered in bright yellow paint, shouted down to those still trapped in the hole. Many were trying to lift each other out.

"When did you add paint? It's a nice touch but. . ." Obito tries to remember the set up earlier. Did she have paint on her? It would have required a lot.

"You're so inattentive sometimes, Obito." Sayo swung her legs a few times before pushing down on the branch with both her hands to return to the ground. "Let's get out of here. Wouldn't want to be caught."

The two were just about leaving the academy when they ran into Rin. She did not look impressed.

"R-Rin." Obito looked like a caught deer.

"It was you wasn't it," said Rin. She crossed her arms.

It was rhetorical question but Sayo thought it deserved a response. "I have no clue what you're talking about." The smile present on her face said otherwise.

"It's not very nice."

For once, Sayo ignored Rin. "I'm leaving. See you both later."

* * *

Sayo woke up and decided she didn't want to attend the academy that day. It was nothing new. Her attendance record was dreadful. Several sensei have try to talk reason into her. How it was important. That her image reflected her education-especially since she was an outsider. But school was a joke. Sometimes it was nice to go, but she prefered learning in the real world compared to in a classroom.

She lived alone in a small flat. She survived off the small allowance she obtained as an academy student. The catch was if she quit being a shinobi within ten years, it became debt. The space included a twin size bed and a small kitchen-both part of the same room. There was also a small bathroom attached. There were no ornaments, or anything for that matter, that would personalize the living space. The only part that made the place looked lived-in was a small desk with parts on the desk of the simple machinery technology had to offer.

She lifted her mattress and pulled out a small journal. Inside were several glued pieces of ripped paper. It was rare for anything to be written directly on the page. It was filled with odd scripture that she could somehow read.

Sayo sat down on her bed as she once again flipped through the journal. She wasn't sure what was true and what was a lie. She stumbled upon a page that had "Naruto" written on it.

"I don't know what's real and what's not. But these thoughts. . . are they memories or am I mental? Nothing still makes any sense." Her right hand continued to flip through the pages while her left hand fisted her bedding. "Why? Why me? There's enough problems as is. It's driving me insane. . ." She bit her lip as two tears slipped despite Sayo's efforts to hold them back.

When she calmed down she put the journal away under her mattress. She washed her face to cover the fact she had a moment of weakness.

She left her home to wander town.

"Sayo!"

Sayo paused in her spot as she recognized the voice that called her name. She smiled brightly as she turned around. "Keichi!" She ran up to the man in his young twenties who was sheepishly smiling. "I thought you were away on a mission."'

He rubbed the back on his head. "I got back last night. Hey. Wait. Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Sayo waved her hand dismissively. "Let's go eat." She doesn't wait for an answer as she already heads towards a restaurant.

Keichi Ayakawa waited patiently as Sayo stared at the menu.

"What should I eat today? Ramen? Shirataki? Soba? Sōmen? Hiyamugi? Udon? Hmm. . . such a tough decision."

Keichi said, "I see you still love noodles."

"Uh huh. You've only been away three months you know." The statement sounded a bit bitter.

"Three months huh." Keichi stared at the blond child before him with sadden eyes. "Have you been good?"

Sayo considered the question before replying, "I've been me." She closed her menu. "My graduation test is next week." Their waitress came to their table and asked what they wanted to order. "I'll have some udon please."

"Ah, I'll have the Donburi," said Keichi.

The waitress bowed and left.

"Ne," Sayo seemed hesitant to ask. "How bad is it? The war."

Keichi remained quiet. "It's not something you have to worry about."

"I'll be a ninja soon. I'll have to participate sooner or later," stated Sayo.

"You'll be a genin. You won't be sent to fight. You'll probably end up doing miscellaneous duties behind the scenes. You don't have to worry about it." He noticed her gaze darken, making him recoil. For a moment a flash of when he first met Sayo flooded his mind. Dull eyes. Worn and torn clothing. Her frown of her apathy towards the world. He pushed the memory to the back of his mind.

"It'll get worse. It'll go on for years to come." She looked down at her lap not wanting to look anyone in the eyes.

"You don't know that."

"It always happens." Her voice was just above a whisper. He didn't know how to respond, so they sat in silence when the waitress returned with their food.

Sayo took a deep breath. "Thank you for the food." She seemingly returned to normal.

* * *

"Don't listen to them, Obito. You'll do fine. You'll pass," said Sayo.

Obito was restless. He reacted to the smallest of things. He was excited and terrified all at the same time.

Seeing that her attempt at motivation was getting no where she headed towards Genma. "Ah~ Are you worried about failing?"

Genma looked up from his notes. "I rank above you so if anyone should be worried it should be you. Given the circumstances you may fail on principle."

Sayo clenched her fist. While many had come to accept her as part of Konoha, there were still those who didn't. "Kiri has other problems to worry about."

"But they have to stop fighting some point. And when they do get involved there's little doubt about who they'll attack first or alliance with," replied Genma. The comments directed at her were condescending, but the rest he said plainly. She couldn't argue with his statements either.

Sayo opened her mouth to retort when Tsubayashi-sensei entered the room with a stack of papers. Part one of the graduation test was about to begin.

"No more chattering. To your seats. You are to remain silent. You have an hour. Answer as much as you can. No one shall leave this room. If you are finish or give up, flip over your exam and remain quietly seated until the end of the exam." As he spoke, everyone took a seat, leaving nothing but a pencil on their desk. He passed out the examination.

"Your hour begins immediately; you may begin."

* * *

**A/N:**

**1) I decided to start at this point because then you get some speculation to the OC (Kind of SI) without knowing too much. Writing chapter upon chapter about her past would be long and unnecessary at the moment, so it will be added in throughout the story. (Plus I was totally not starting with "I died. . .Being reborn. . ." While it can be a good start to a story it has become predictable and, quite frankly, boring after you read so many).**

**2) I've gone through a lot of planning and changes to this story (you can't even imagine how much), but I've pretty much got wiki length information on my character I might to a Q&A in the future if interested. I wouldn't normally write a character like this one, so I'm excited for a change.**

**3) I'll be updating my other stories soon too (I'm exhausted from working 6-7 days a weeks, financial/banking/student loan issues, and I'm moving 8 hrs away in a couple weeks. Hope to get back into my old writing habits once I get there).**

**4) P.S. I plan to keep A/N to the minimum (only when necessary or to respond to peole who don't have an account) and they will always be at the end of the chapter.**

**5) Oh yeah! And depending how well my fight scenes turn out this might turn to M (they are in a war).**


	2. Discrepancy

**CALLOSITY**

_Existence-is there any meaning to life?_

_If there is, I hope to never discover my reason for living. I much prefer to do things my way than feel obligated to fulfill my purpose._

_I'm an individual, not a puppet._

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Kushina."

The red-headed ninja turned to look at the kid leaning through her open window. "Sayo, I haven't seen you in a while."

Sayo let herself into the jinchūriki's home via the window. "Who's fault's that. You've been gone mission after mission. Did they think sending-" she abruptly stopped before saying their "precious" jinchūriki out to battle. Sayo didn't actually know if Kushina was a jinchūriki or not.

"It's part of the job. So why did you come? Did you want me to teach you a cool move to beat off bullies, ttebayo?" The older ninja seemed to gain energy at the thought of her assumption. She fought enough people, herself, when she'd been younger.

"No, but I'll hold you to that another time," said Sayo. She turned her head in the direction of the kitchen and sniffed. "I smell food," she moaned in delight.

The redhead sighed. "Come on. I'll treat you to dinner."

"You're the best." Sayo smiled while she placed a hand over her stomach. Her own meals didn't have much variety. She could prepare some simple things like onigiri, but any other cooking surpassed her capabilities. Both Kushina and Keichi had their own attempts to teach her, but knowing how something was supposed to be cook was different from being able to cook it.

"You can sit down. The stew will be done soon."

The stew finished cooking and Kushina put some in a bowl before placing it in front of Sayo before pouring a bowl of stew for herself.

"Thanks for the food," said Sayo before she dug in. It really was much better than her own attempts.

"So why did you come, besides wanting to steal my food," teased Kushina.

To Kushina's inquiring gaze, Sayo gently put down her spoon beside her bowl. She pulled her turtle neck over her mouth and nose to hide her expression. Kushina could have sworn the girl's cheeks turned red, though.

The Red Habanero's interest peaked. Sayo wasn't normally a shy person, and if the blond's reaction was anything to go by, there had to be an _intriguing _story for it. She watched the girl's shoulders rock uncomfortably. Her movements had turned still. "C'mon. You can tell be, ttebayo. It will be our little secret."

Sayo's awkward position turned slightly more relaxed. Kushina was preparing to hear the story. Sayo replied in a soft voice, vulnerable to embarrassment. "You promise not to tell anyone?" She looked up hopefully to Kushina's violet eyes.

"I promise. I promise, ttebayo." Aside from Kushina's rushed speech, Sayo could tell how much she anticipated the answer from her increase use of her verbal tick.

"S-Someone confessed to me."

"Eh!" Kushina's chair squeaked as it abraded the floor.

Sayo's collar slipped off her face revealing her unsettlement and embarrassment; her face flushed red and her eyes wandered, unwilling to meet Kushina's gaze. "I wanted someone to talk to. I-I don't know what to do."

"So you're already to the age where you start liking boys," muttered Kushina to herself, probably unaware she even spoke aloud. "Alright, I'm here for you. I'll give you all the advice you need. So tell me. What's his name? How'd you react?"

"Damasare Yasui"

Kushina put a finger close to her mouth as she thought. It was unlikely she would know the person but she searched through her memories to recall if she knew the person anyway, or someone related to him. It took her a moment to realize Sayo had said the name void of any emotion. Then she thought back to the name given and clued into what had just happened. "H-Hey! I'm not gullible." Sayo was now smirking at the older female before picking up her spoon and taking another bite.

"You really are."

"That was all an act." Kushina couldn't believe it. She fell for it.

Sayo took another bite, finishing her bowl of stew, before stating, "Yep," drawing out the p. She stood from her seat and headed to the sink. She turned on the tap and rinsed her bowl. "Shouldn't you know my real reactions from my acts by now? How do you ever manage to deceive others on missions?"

Kushina decided to brush off Sayo's comments as she tried to come to terms that she had been tricked again. Last time Sayo had lied about injuring her leg, so she had done the younger girl's shopping. The time before that it had been she couldn't handle the bullies which sent Kushina in rampage mode. The time before that it had been the teacher at school discriminated against her because she was a foreigner, leading Kushina to barge into their class and ending class early that day. Before that. . . well there were several instances, she would leave it at that.

"You really should have gotten into acting. It would be easy for you," muttered Kushina. She hadn't expected for Sayo to hear her, so her head shot up in surprise when Sayo replied.

"Or I could be a ninja and deceive my enemies." With those words, Sayo lifted her fringe revealing her leaf forehead protector.

Oh. So that's what it had been about.

As Sayo's hair fell back into place, her eyes settled on the part of the forehead protector that wasn't fully covered by her hair. How had she missed that?

As if forgetting that she had just been deceived by the child, she brought the girl into her arms for a tight embrace. "Congratulations, ttebayo!"

Sayo choked.

* * *

Sayo arrived at the academy where profile pictures and ninja registration forms were being made and filled out. It was a process all new recruits had to undergo. The process concluded when the Hokage and an assistant assessed their profile. These meetings were of importance because it aided the Hokage to learn of his new followers as well as put teams together. Their academy sensei got some input, but the ultimate decision was always the Hokage's.

Sayo looked down at her picture as she went to give her photo to the receptionist, who would copy the photo onto the profile page.

Of course, Konoha would already posses better profiles of them given by their sensei, but, again, this was only for formalities.

"Thanks," she said uncaringly as she took the ninja registration form. Headed towards the waiting room, where there would be pencils available to write in the small profile section next to the profile image, she stared at her photo.

She cared little for pictures. The original copy of this photo, that she gets to keep, is actually the only picture she owns. "Maybe I should have at least smiled," she whispered to herself. Her photo had her duly staring straight into the camera; her posture straight; and her black, one-sleeved turtle neck in contrast to her platinum hair-tied back into a bun-left the photo looking quite monochromatic in comparison to the nature background.

In the waiting room were two others her age. They had been from her class so she recognized them. One was Haji Rokuma and the other was Ebisu.

It wasn't long until until another one of her classmates exited the room where she supposed the Hokage was.

She took this chance to pick up a pencil to fill in her profile. Sayo glanced over the information that was already printed onto the page.

_Registration Number: 010892_

_Date of Birth: December 30_

_Age: 9 Sign: Capricorn_

The simplicity and idiocy of the form was laughable.

Sayo tapped her pencil against the area for her profile. What was she supposed to write? She would end up briefly telling the Hokage about herself anyway.

Despite living in the village for two years, she had never spoken to the Hokage. Even through her immigration. . . _screening_. . . she hadn't. That had been dealt with through other ninja who did immigration for a living. She had seen him once in passing, but otherwise the Hokage wasn't anyone she knew.

She contemplated further about what she wanted to put. Not seeing the point in putting to much thought into the profile, she began to write the first few things that came to her head.

She put the pencil back from where she took it and waited another quarter of an hour before Ebisu left the room and she could enter. By then another person had already entered the waiting room.

When she entered the room, she bowed to the Hokage and assistant on the other end of the room before closing the door. She approached them and handed them her registration form before sitting on the chair a few meters away.

It was silent for a moment as they shoveled through the stack of papers on their desk, which she could only assume was her _real_ profile.

They did however glance at what she wrote on her profile section.

_Profile:_

_Originally from Bukoya-not Kirigakure-in Land of Water._

_Likes noodles and the mister who lives_

_down the road and lets me stay the _

_night when he's not away on a mission._

The two ninja blanched and choked when they read the profile. They immediately sent their stared to the innocent, smiling girl in front of them. From her files, she moved here alone so it wouldn't be odd if no one had taught her about 'that'. The shock of the statement had them forgetting the profile picture which had her serious look. They only focused on the innocence of the girl.

"Koizumi," stated the assistant seriously. "Has the man ever done anything to you?"

Sayo tilted her head and blinked impishly. "Who?"

"The mister you wrote about on your profile," he hissed out rather violently.

"Oh him!" She brightened up at his mention leaving the two men relieved. "He's very nice. He let's me come to his house whenever he's in town. He let's me take baths with him and has a snake to play with in the water. It feels so nice." The assistant returned to being outrage while the Hokage reddened both in embarrassment and anger. "Idiots." They realized that her demeanor completely altered. "I'm not stupid and I'm not someone to be taken advantage of. You have my profile so besides meeting you Lord Hokage, this meeting holds little value. Can I go now?" Almost as an afterthought, she breathed, "It's such a nice day out."

"You shouldn't joke about things like that," said the Hokage.

"I apologize." He was someone who could kick her out of the village. It wouldn't fare well to antagonize him. "Though it was you both who made the assumption. I stay with Keichi Ayakawa on occasion. He spoke on my behalf when I tried to gain entrance to this village. You should know him. He's one of your ninja. And as you should know he would never do anything I just lied about, so you can relax."

"Forgetting this issue," the Hokage coughed. "We need to continue. It won't take long."

Sayo slouched in her seat. So much for getting an early release.

* * *

Sarutobi, the assistant who had been with him during registrations and Tsubayashi-sensei were sitting together in a meeting room that had a large enough table to spread out the new genin files.

Tsubayashi-sensei stacked three files together, using the table to straighten the papers before placing them aside. "If we're placing them together, I think it would be a good idea to place Chiyo with these two."

"While I think they would make a great team," interrupted the assistant, "I think it would be best to divide them up. The remainder are becoming harder to place together. If we put them together it would mean these next few teams to be more mediocre. And during times like these. . ."

They both looked to the Hokage who took a puff of smoke. These first team creations were always a hassle. His eyes gazed over the pictures of the new genin who they still hadn't assigned to a team. "Switch Genma out for Haji. Then we'll put him with Guy and Ebisu."

"Are you sure? I can picture Genma and Ebisu working together with enough time, but Guy. . ."

"I'm quite sure."

Not questioning the Hokage any further, their profiles were stacked together and put aside with the rest. It left them with eight profiles left.

"Lord Hokage," spoke the assistant. "What are we to do with her?" He tapped Sayo's profile.

The Hokage blanked a little. He still hadn't forgot about their little understanding. "What do you think, Takashi?"

Tsubayashi-sensei hummed. "It's difficult to say. From her fighting style, strengths, and where she would best excel…" He paused for a moment looking at the remainder of his ex-students who had yet to be assigned a team. He thought of all of their strengths and weaknesses. "I would say these two." He moved their profile closer. "However, personality-wise, I can already see a disaster between these two. Also considering her attendance record and… certain habits, I'm more inclined to group her with-" He reorganized the profiles so how the rest would be best balanced.

Sarutobi exhaled a lot of smoke to help calm himself. He had a feeling this could work well or completely break. "Alright. We'll place the rest as this. You both are dismissed."

* * *

It was the day the new genin were to gather at the academy, for a final time. They were to be given further orders from there.

Sayo was walking towards the academy with Chiyo and Rin.

Chiyo looked up to the sky. "We're being placed on teams, right? I wonder who I'll be with." She had a contemplative look. Both her parents were chunin, so she knew a fair bit about life as a ninja. However, she wasn't from some fancy clan so her knowledge was limited.

"I just hope we get along." Rin had only learned about the teams from Chiyo. Though, she supposed it made sense. When they were still improving, it would be best to be with the same people. She noticed how quiet Sayo was being, so included her into the conversation. "How about you, Sayo? Who do you hope your teammates are?"

Sayo faced the other way, oddly silent. Chiyo placed an arm around Sayo's shoulder and pulled her close. It was when they were this close that she realized how tall Chiyo.

Sayo wasn't small.

Really. She wasn't.

Chiyo just happened to be the tallest in their class. She was 163 cm!

"There's no reason to hide it." Sayo responded softly and Chiyo looked confused. Chiyo said, "What was that?"

Sayo was reluctant to repeat, but then finally said loud enough for both Rin and Chiyo to hear. "I want to be on Rin's team."

Chiyo blinked at such the honest tone. Rin smiled encouragingly.

"Hey wait a minute. What about me?" demanded Chiyo who just noticed she wasn't included on that list. She was honestly baffled into silence when Sayo looked away and shrugged.

Rin gave a short giggle but gave an apologetic smile when Chiyo turned to her astounded.

"I'd be happy to be on a team with both of you," said Rin.

Chiyo immediately brushed the comment off. "Unlikely. The ratio of boys to girls is high. The chance another girl will be on our respective teams is low." She put her hands behind her head. "I just hope I'm not with Ebisu."

Rin just smiled at the comment. She enjoyed her friends' company. It was then that she noticed that Sayo was sulking. Rin stepped towards her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whether we're on a team or not, we'll still be friends. But I hope we are too."

Sayo stared at Rin's smiling face before looking up to the sky. Her lips quirk up into a smile too.

* * *

Entering the classroom, Sayo took notice that over half the class was already there. They must be anxious and excited.

She sat down next to Rin who seated herself next to Chiyo. They took up a row. Her eyes wandered to their other classmates. Who would she be placed with? She skimmed through them imagining what it would be like to be on a team with each one of them.

Suddenly her hand snapped up to her head. Sayo silently excused herself and exited the classroom. She slid the door shut and took a few steps to the side to not stand at the door's entrance. With her back to the wall, she slid down it until she was sitting on the floor. Both hands now grasping her head.

"You having second thoughts on becoming a ninja," said an all-too-familiar voice.

"Maybe since you're so 'great', you'll immediately go out to fight in the war and die," retorted Sayo.

Haji Rokuma and Kenji Sawaro were just arriving in the middle of Genma's and Sayo's glaring contest.

"Not again," whined Kenji. "Think if they just kissed all the tension would disappear?" He thought he was making a joke to Haji, but even his friend was glaring at him along with the other two. "It was just a joke."

"A terrible one," said Genma.

"It seems your stupidity is spreading," said Sayo purposefully glancing at Genma.

"I'm smarter than you; so if anyone's stupidity is spreading, it's yours," he replied.

"Shut up! Don't call Sayo an idiot," shouted Haji.

"You're right, you're an even bigger idiot."

"Why you!"

Haji was held back from his collar. He turned his head to yell at Kenji to let go but snapped his mouth shut when he realized it was sensei. He gulped.

"You're lucky I'm not your sensei anymore or you would all be in detention. Now get in the classroom."

"Hai Sensei," came the collective voices of all four genin.

They entered the classrooms and took their seats. Sayo sat back down next to Rin. It didn't occur to right away but she finally did noticed that Obito wasn't there. She frowned.

Tsubayashi-sensei stood at the front of the classroom. While it would not be his final time standing there, it was their last time to listen to him as a sensei.

"Congratulations for becoming genin. You'll be an asset to this village and I hope you all carry the Will of Fire within you as you begin your service in such troubling times.

"I've done my part as your sensei and now you shall move on in teams of three with a jonin sensei. With these squads both the Hokage and myself hope for you all to improve. It's as of now that you are the deciding factor as to what road you take."

Sensei looked around the classroom. "I shall now r-" He was cut off when the door slammed open. There in the entrance way was Obito panting.

He chuckled nervously. "Sorry I'm late."

"Go sit down. I was about to announce the teams."

Obito looked confused but didn't dare ask what he was talking about.

"In no particular order I shall name the teams." He looked down at the paper in front of him. No doubt not to screw up. "Team 12 will consist of Might Guy, Ebisu, and Genma Shiranui."

Sayo felt instant relief that she wouldn't be on a team with Genma. Chiyo apparently felt the same relief of not having to be on a team with Ebisu.

"Team 3 will be Yoko Jinbu, Arashi Kino, and Shiharo Aburame.

"Team 4 is Kenji Sawaro, Daichi-" the two friends gave each other a high-five- "and Chiyo Tachibana."

"Well, they're not that bad," Chiyo muttered. "It could be worse." She stared at Daichi a little longer than necessary.

Sayo tuned out Sensei's voice. The only other teams she was interested in was Rin's and her own.

"Team 18 is Rin Nohara." Rin became more attentive and Sayo stared at her sensei, almost expectantly. "Haji Rokuma, and Rintaro Nara."

Sayo pouted and glared at Haji when he looked in Rin's direction. He seemed startled and turned back to whisper to Kenji.

"I'll be alright," said Rin.

Finally, her own name was called. "Sayo Koizumi and Obito Uchiha. You'll be on team seven."

Rin blinked in confusion. "A team of two?"

"Eh." Both Sayo and Obito glanced to each other.

"That's it." Tsubayashi-sensei looked over his class for a final time. He could see who was happy about their teams and who weren't. "Well, you don't have to listen to me anymore. You have your lunch now, but be sure to be in this room in an hour. Your new instructors will be here."

When he left the room, chatter broke the silence.

Sayo frowned, unsettled. Either something changed or she really was mental.

* * *

**** Damasareyasui means gullible **

***** Ah crap… I just realized Genma is a year or two older. Ah, well, I already had him planned out. Will just have to go with it. Ebisu too T_T . . . And he's even older than Genma. Well since this was already planned out (oops on my part) I guess you're gonna half to live with it.**


	3. Team Minato: Part I

**Callosity**

_Morality-is an illusion created by society._

_It's why I abhor the righteous hypocrisy of "right" and "wrong". Don't believe that because I concede to your laws that I believe in them, 'cause I don't. Don't believe I will not leave for a better opportunity, 'cause I will._

**CHAPTER THREE**

There was an awkward tension when Team 7's sensei, Minato Namikaze, picked up his two additional members from the academy classroom and began heading to the top of the Hokage Mountain.

Obito and Sayo walked a little further behind their new sensei and third teammate. "Why does it have to be him?" whined the Uchiha as he stared at the grey hair chunin in disdain.

"Do you think we can trade him for Rin?" Both their faces turned solemn, wanting to be on Rin's team instead.

At least they had each other.

Sayo wondered how she should introduce herself this time as they continued to travel to their destination.

A pervert? A wacko? An innocent girl? A bloodthirsty ninja? A spy?

So many options.

It was tiring to constantly introduce yourself. She must have done so at least one-hundred times since she arrived to Konoha. As much as she wanted a better life, sometimes she misses the tranquility of being alone.

When they arrived to the top of the mountain Obito gapped and Sayo stopped in spot. The view from their position was beautiful. There were plenty of buildings and trees but from their altitude everything seemed so serene and united. The lively coulours blended further in the distance, but it only seemed to emphasize Konoha's vastness.

"I thought we could start by introducing ourselves," said Minato who smiled at the reaction of the graduates.

Obito's attention snapped towards Minato-sensei who was eager to become a ninja and start taking missions. Sayo's attention remained enraptured by the scenery for a while little longer. It looked so peaceful.

"_C'est le meilleur."_

Sayo winced. No, the scenery was but an illusion. It was no different than anywhere else.

"_Au moins ils ont les morals."_

She long tired of the voice. Sometimes she still wondered how she passed the mentality examination. The standards must be low.

"What about you?" asked Minato. He blinked when he was completely ignored by the girl.

"Hey, Sayo!" Obito waved a hand in front of her face to garner her attention.

"Huh?" She tilted her head towards Obito. "What was that?"

"Inattentive," Kakashi's voice cut through the confusement. "You won't become a good ninja like that."

"Sayo will become a great ninja just you watch," defended Obito. His defensiveness probably came more out of dislike for their third teammate than out of camaraderie. The hostility only appeared to heighten. How long had she been spaced out? What had she missed?

Though, Kakashi's comment could be onto something. . .

Sayo sniffled. She stared, unblinkingly, causing water to build up over her eyes. Her left hand grasped the material over the centre of her chest. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Kakashi simply stared at the crying girl. She was going to be one of _those_ girls.

"I know I'm not good. I'll probably drag you all behind." Tears began pouring down her cheeks.

Minato didn't know what to do. Her profile didn't have much on her emotional state and he didn't know how to deal with crying girls. Kushina was strong-willed and defensive, so she tended to be more physical than emotional.

"You can't be that bad, Sayo. You managed to pass." Sayo only cried louder, muttering 'I'm gonna die' over and over. Minato further panicked. What was he supposed to do now?

She sniffled. Her teary eyes, flushed face, and quivering lip indicated that while she was trying to hold back the tears, she could burst out in tears again. "I-I'm-" Sayo gulped. "I'm Sayo Koizumi." Her breath was uneven. "I like flowers. I don't like-" She gulped. "-monsters. My hobbies are gardening and my dream is to get married."

Kakashi was unimpressed. In fact, he almost felt a restraining order was needed.

Minato whipped his head to face Obito when he heard him crackle. Obito had tried not to burst out laughing for a while. He was glad it was someone else and not him who had been tricked. It was always more fun to be a spectator. If they really knew Sayo, they would know that was nothing like her.

"You shouldn't laugh at your teammate," said Minato despite his own discomfort with the girl.

He continued to laugh. "But sensei, Sayo is nothing like that."

"You shouldn't mock her when she was just being honest about herself."

Obito laughed harder. "You don't get it, sensei. Sayo really isn't like that. She couldn't care less about flowers, so that also takes out gardening; Sayo doesn't believe in monsters, and I don't think she's ever even had a crush, let alone want to get married."

Minato was about to retort when he noticed that Sayo was oddly quiet. No cries, no sniffles, no mutters. He turned back to face her and only saw her grinning, almost smug, face. Her face was still a bit flushed, but it was rapidly returning to its original hue.

"Hmm… I expected more from you. Though, to be fair your, girlfriend fell for that trick even after getting to know me."

Minato didn't know that she knew Kushina. He suddenly felt embarrassed. Not of Kushina, but at the thought of her teasing him if she ever found out what happened. He was usually a perceptive person, but he hadn't exactly expected any of his students to act that way or lie to him.

Kakashi crossed his arms. His first thought was that his "teammates" were idiots.

Minato coughed into his fist. Obito's laughter slowly diminished. "Since we are a team, knowing each other is part of our trust." Minato stressed every word.

Sayo didn't even try to look abash or apologize. She enjoyed other's falters, their vulnerability, their moments of incomprehension. It knocked people down from their self-righteous pedestals. Plus, it was amusing.

"My name is Sayo Koizumi." She wondered how much she was supposed to say. Minato-sensei may have stated that trust is part of being a team, but they were just formed and she would probably never fully trust anyone with her life—she had everything to lose. "I like… some things…" Some of which she wouldn't admit aloud and other things that escape her mind as she tries to think of some. "I dislike… self-righteous zealots. My hobbies include…well it's irrelevant to missions. And my dream? I don't know. Do I have to have one? I guess fight to live another day." The voice in her head further screamed and wanted her to redo her introduction.

Minato painfully smiled. "Right, then tomorrow we will meet up at Training Ground 18 at 0900. It'll be my own test of you three. You're dismissed then."

* * *

_**Don't worry about understanding the French part. If it is ever necessary to know it will be in English or**_

***Fun Fact: In the first draft, Sayo had black hair, dark brown eyes, was only 3 years older than Naruto and was the son of an SI instead of possessing the knowledge himself-yes, son; Sayo was originally planned as a boy named Eiji Katsura.**

**** I finally moved back! (So tired I fell asleep right after). So I'll post this now for all of you patient people and post the next chapter ASAP.**

*****I'm looking for a Beta. If your interested, don't be afraid to speak up. . . please. . .**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Team Minato: Part II

**CALLOSITY**

_Even if there is no meaning to life I will survive, even if only to live another day._

_People can argue about what happens after death, but does it even matter? When you die you no longer live. That's enough of a reason to struggle every day. _

_Even if there is more despair than happiness. _

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Sayo drowsily opened her eyes. It was still dark out. She rolled on her bed to face the side of her bed with the side table. The alarm clock on the table read 4:27. She closed her eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep, but it was futile. Ten minutes later she got out of bed.

She began to boil some water before putting some tea leaves into a mug. Once the water had boiled, she poured it over the tea leaves until the mug was almost full. She stirred the substances to make her tea before placing the spoon in the sink and sitting at the small wooden table with her drink.

This was an occurrence that happened too frequently: difficulties falling asleep only to wake up early.

She blew on her steamy drink before taking a sip.

"You really screwed things up, you know." When no reply came, the frustrated voice continued, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop ignoring me before you finally listen? Honestly, what good is knowing what happens when I can't do anything about it? And how the hell did you even end up on Kakashi's team. It's supposed to be Rin. This will ruin the timeframe. For the better or worse, I don't know. Probably the worse if you don't listen to me."

Sayo could never understand why the voice was persistent to talk to her. As it said, she never replied. Well, excluding a few slip ups which only seemed to reassure the voice that talking wasn't meaningless. She continued to drink as her brain ached in irritation.

"So if you're going to be on Team Minato, you're going to need Obito from turning and helping Madara. Killing him is probably the easiest way. I mean, you could try to stop him from getting crushed from a boulder, but with Zetsu, he would probably still find a way to get to him—or maybe another Uchiha and then I really would be lost. You also need to find a way to save Minato. I don't understand why he had to die in the first place. Kushina was already weak and dying, and her clan specializes in seals. Why didn't _she_ reseal the Kyubi? Then poor Naruto would have had at least one of his parents. Though, if you stop Obito then he'll probably get to grow up with both his parents. And we should get close to Kakashi because, well, he's Kakashi! But first, you'll have to pass the test Minato gives you. It's a bell test. It's standard for Team 7 and—"

Sayo groaned. She couldn't believe that at one point she had thought the voice had been her thoughts, he conscious. Albeit, she had been young and impressionable. It was a few minutes later when she was still being lectured on a tangent that she decided against her better judgement and responded—mentally that is.

"Would you just shut up?! You're going to get me killed. You're dead for a reason. I'm not a puppet that you can control. You have no say in my life. You wasted yours and now I get to live mine. I'm not going to kill Obito or do anything you say. This is ridiculous. I wish you would just disappear."

For a moment it was silent, and Sayo thought she had won. However, the voice retorted more haughtily than before. "You owe me. If it wasn't for me you would still be stuck on that farm. You would be illiterate, and you would waste your life farming. Your life would be pointless. I don't even know who you are. What does that tell you? You're nothing without me."

Sayo clenched her fists. She moved from her chair to a spot on the floor. She took big, deep breaths in order to try and control her breathing. She got into a meditative position—a long time hobby and habit—in an attempt to block out the intrusive voice. Meditation or adrenaline were usually the only things that could block the voice, though even that failed sometimes.

It didn't matter if her life had any meaning. All life was meaning. She was no better than anyone else. She would die just like everyone else.

The voice was self-righteous and haughty, like she was superior.

The voice was a hypocrite, not seeing the foolishness of her own opinions.

The voice pushed her to run away, to learn easier, to survive—true. But the voice also served as her tormentor, an instability, a—a—

She was insane, wasn't she? She couldn't tell anyone of this, could she?

Sayo trembled in the security of her home. No. Nowhere was "safe". Her breathing shorten as she forcibly attempted to stop her shaking. There were eyes everywhere. Everything could be seen as a weakness, so it was not to reveal her one true instability.

She finally became calm enough to focus on her meditation.

* * *

Sayo had been the first to arrive at training ground 18. Though, it may have had to do with the fact that there was still another hour until they were supposed to meet. It wasn't until nearly an hour later until Minato-sensei and Kakashi arrived together. It was clear the two of them have known each other for a long time. No doubt Kakashi would be sensei's favourite. Not that it mattered to her.

The three of them waited for Obito who had yet to arrive. Not really surprising. Knowing him, he probably was helping someone.

It was quarter after and Obito still hadn't shown up. Minato remained patient, though was probably a bit exasperated, while Kakashi was right down annoyed. "A ninja must follow their commander's instruction," he said. "We haven't even started and he's already breaking the rules."

And this was the person the voice wanted her to get close to. He was so uptight. The rules weren't necessarily bad. They were efficient for their occupation. However, you can't stop being an employee out of work anymore that you stop being yourself during employment. Following those rules would be constantly living by them. Not to mention, it only promotes one kind of efficiency—being able to complete the "given" mission. The given mission wasn't always the goal.

What was her personal opinion on the rules? She didn't have much of an opinion on it. It was just another implementation that a governor saw fit to incorporate. Not to mention she wasn't a fan of the Nidaime Hokage. To be fair though, she wasn't a fan of any Kage.

Even hidden villages were overrated.

She couldn't really speak on the behalf of other villages, but Konoha had had several academy lessons about the foundation of the Village Hidden in Leaves. They made it sound like they decreased mortality rate and that it was a fantastic thing. From her view, though, not much had change. It used to be each clan for themselves and they would live in fear of each other. Now a village was just like a big clan and fought against other villages. Sure, attacks weren't as frequent, but there was always the threat. Not to mention mortality may not be as consistent but there were also more sever wars than ever before easily equaling, if not surpassing, the death rate of before their development.

"He'll never even be a decent ninja at this rate, let alone a kage." Kakashi didn't even sound amused. He spoke so dryly as if Obito was nothing more than pathetic. That the fact Obito even dreamt of being a kage was despicable.

Did she think Obito could become Hokage? It was highly unlikely he would, if she was being realistic. Even if the voice was right and Obito had a ton of potential, it was unlikely. Only one person at a time could be Hokage and Konoha had no shortage of ninja. Not to mention being an Uchiha may give him points with the civilians but not with other ninja who are the ones he would really have to impress and have trust him if he were to want the position.

"_I'm going to be Hokage!"_

_Sayo, who had been laying on a tree branch, looked down at the enthusiastic kid. _

_His cheeks puffed out, eyes narrowed, and fist clenched. "You don't believe me either, do you?"_

_She stared at him a moment longer, amplifying his present irritation. "Why would you want to become Hokage?" Well, at least she wasn't laughing or didn't claim he couldn't be one. But she still didn't sound like he could do it either. _

"_I'm going to be strong and be recognized by everyone." There was a motivated fire in his eyes._

"_You don't need to be a Kage to be recognized."_

"_Konoha is my home. I'll protect everyone. I'll protect the ninja who work hard to help protect the village. I'll protect the students who are the hope of the future. I'll protect the civilians who are just as much of this village as anyone else."_

"_It's like you said, though. There are plenty of people who are capable of protecting the village. It's the job of every ninja."_

_Obito was now very aggravated. "I don't want to be like the past Hokages. I want to be Hokage and make my own changes."_

_Sayo still sounded disinterested. "Every Kage wants to make changes. Wants to 'better' the village. In the end it's only to satisfy their own moralities and make others comply. People don't change. They comply with each other because of their own insecurities. There is no justice. The world simply is and people are ruthless. The sooner you realise this, the longer you may live." Sayo was in her own little world. "Even if there is a glimmer of hope, it will eventually be extinguish. Peace doesn't last. Happiness doesn't last. Those who break the rules usually end up on the top."_

"_Just shut up! What do you know? You're not even from here. What would you know about Konoha" Sayo remained quiet to Obito's words. "I might not be able to fix everything, but I can surely prevent most of it. Even if I make mistakes I won't turn on the people of this village. If I have to break every rule there is then so be it." Sayo blinked owlishly, but continued to remain silent. "But you wouldn't understand anything. You left your home!" Obito ran away, unable to manage his emotions._

_Now that made her feel a little hollower inside. _

_Home? It was a mere concept. Home wasn't Bukoya. Home wasn't in the Land of Noodles. She didn't even feel "at home" in Konoha. She probably never feel "at home" anywhere…ever._

_It was over the next few months as she got to know Obito that she gained a little hope and that scared her. He wasn't Rin—that was for sure._

_She approached Obito when he was alone. "About being Hokage, Obito." They had still hung out on occasion, as always, after their dispute. Though, Hokage hadn't really been spoken of since then. After all, Obito didn't really have many friends and Sayo had her own problems of people's tolerance of her personality and background. "I'm still skeptical about you becoming Hokage, and Kage's aren't really people I praise or look up to. I don't particularly have any hope that things will change. Things are how they are." Obito looked confused as to why she was repeating this. "However, maybe…" Her voice died a little before regaining her motive. "Perhaps if you become Hokage I can have a little hope. I'm trusting you, so you better fulfill your dream."_

_Obito wasn't like Rin. Rin was her light. Someone she could be with and momentarily forget the cruelties of the world. As if everything else didn't exist. So, no, Obito wasn't like Rin. But Obito was now her hope. She wasn't an optimistic person to begin with. She may want the best, but she always expects for the worse. So not only putting some faith into a person, but openly admit it was a large step for her._

"_Huh?" Obito was dumbfounded and just totally ruined the uplifting mood. _

"_I said I'm trusting you."_

_Obito stood frozen as if the words were still processing the words. Finally, when things seemed to click, a large grin formed on his face. He ran to Sayo and hugged her in happiness. _

Sayo wanted to speak out against Kakashi but it was pointless. She wasn't going to get violent with him (and even if she did, she would lose). She wasn't going to talk back as he really seemed like a drone who would care less. Instead she settles for saying, "He's probably helping someone. Honestly, he'll probably love D ranks."

Kakashi paled at the thought of D-ranks. He was chunin. He was above that stuff. Though, considering he was a chunin, she wouldn't be surprised if training for their team was amplified to quicker move on the field.

Meaning she'd probably be participating in the war faster than anticipated.

Suddenly Obito came running out onto the field. He was out of breath as he probably ran there as fast as he could. "I'm sorry I'm late. I helped a lady carry her groceries. Then I found an injured rabbit so I took it to the vet."

"Stop making excuses," commented the Chunin. "If this was a mission then you could have caused us to fail."

"I'm not lying," Obito yelled back. Kakashi was really going to get on his nerves.

Minato watched the kids interact with hesitance. The Hokage had thought they would make a good team, though. The two boys began to bicker and he really wanted to sigh. Being late could be detrimental to a mission, so Kakashi wasn't wrong, but at the same time Kakashi was still hung over the rules. He wished he could do something about that.

His eyes flickered to the girl on the team. She seemed as exasperated as him, though probably for other reasons. He saw her touch her head. She was probably getting a headache from the boys' bickering. He couldn't blame her.

"Alright then." His voice tore through their argument. "Let's get started." He showed the two bells that were attacked to some ribbon. "Your goal is to get these bells from me. Those who get a bell will pass. If you don't get a bell…well, let's just say I have permission that will put you out of a ninja career."

Kakashi stiffen slightly. No doubt scared that all his effort to this point has been for naught. Obito was appalled. That threat would crush his dreams. He didn't know what to make of Sayo's expression, though. He already learnt that he shouldn't take face appearances with her. Also, because he didn't know her well, he couldn't tell if her current expression was what she felt.

Sayo frowned with a far off look. It then quickly turned to bitter acceptance.

"I understand," said Sayo calmly as she met his gaze. "I've known the village never liked me, nor its citizens."

"What are you talking about, Sayo?"

Sayo ignored Obito's outburst. She continued to stare somberly into Minato's piercing eyes. "It didn't matter that I had a reference. That I went through the immigration process. That I became a soldier. That I suffered through interrogation. They aren't pleasant to outsiders. This is just a way to get rid of me. You needn't the bells to do that. I'm fairly sure it's easy to kill an academy student. It would have been easier."

Minato wanted to choke. She thought the village was against her? And interrogation? He knew it was part of the process, but her tone implied that torture (as it was called the Torture and Interrogation Department) had been involved. Her harden eyes only further justified his train of though.

"So they can have the bells. I'll just to help them get the bells so I can say I defeated Mr. Yellow Flash." Her grin was predatory.

Not that the technique was a secret. It would have been a poor surprise attack since Kakashi knew all his moves. Still, to think a fresh genin had known about his move specifically. Or maybe Kushina had mentioned it. But then why?

He was going to protest the reason for the test, but she had been on the right track, so for now he would remain quiet.

"You've got two hours. We begin now." He disappeared in a flash leaving a gapping Obito.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's the Hiraishin. It's a move sensei developed himself. He places a seal so he can teleport to that spot instantly." Kakashi was proud of his sensei but was also a little bitter since that move got the better of him quite a lot.

Sayo was surprised that Kakashi had willingly explained the technique. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad.

"So what's the plan?"

"Plan? There is no plan. Today is the day I defeat sensei; the idiot has no chance of getting a bell, and you have already renounced getting one—which you wouldn't be able to obtain even if you tried," said Kakashi.

He was about to dash off when Sayo quickly responding causing him to lag. "He's still your sensei for a reason. Even if you are a prodigy, he's still better than you. We may not be ideal, but we can help."

"Speak for yourself," grumbled the Uchiha. He didn't want to openly admit it, but if Kakashi can't beat sensei then he wouldn't be able to.

Kakashi stared at the two genin. Really, they would be useless. Perhaps they could be cattle, though. If they could just cause a distraction long enough for him to get a bell…

"What are your strengths?"

"Eh?" Obito was surprised the proud boy was going to accept help. Sayo merely grinned. Hooked.

* * *

Minato was wary. One of the kids should have come across him my now. He really did need to gauge their skills, though, so maybe he should seek them out. He contemplated his actions casually until…aha! Someone had just ran by and was waiting on the other side of the tree. It seemed the test began.

Sayo ran out and threw a kunai towards him as she immediately made her way to the next tree to use as shield. Cautious she was. Poor aim though. It aimed near his—

Minato jumped up into a nearby tree escaping the explosion caused by the tag attached to the kunai. He didn't have time to stay still though, as a giant fireball was headed towards him.

So Obito and Sayo were working together. Not surprising since they seemed familiar with each other—more than just classmates.

Sayo charged at him. He dodged the first punch, and twisted his body—going into full rotation, to avoid the roundhouse kick. Minato grabbed her, brought her close and put a kunai to her neck. "Will you give up, Obito? Now that she's in danger." He seemed frustrated. That was good, but he wanted to know his reactions. The jonin was astounded when Obito began his hand seals despite having Sayo captive. He didn't seem like the type.

It was then that he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. He thought it would have been Kakashi but it had been Sayo. But then the person he was holding…a transformation? No. He Hiraishin out of the way. He was glad he did because as soon as he did the water close dispersed but the fire exploded. Explosive tags were probably attached or some other explosive material. Smart.

Sayo came out, the real her, and began attacking him with a series of taijutsu moves. Her chakra was pretty drained, so that water clone had probably used most of it. So ninjutsu won't be her forte.

Obito on the other hand had a good amount of chakra and had a well enough control to be able to use his clan's justsu.

This time when he kicked Sayo, she slammed into a tree and groaned.

"Sayo!" Obito called out in worry. So he had been right. He does care about his comrades. So until now, this had all been planned. It was pretty good for a genin assessment.

Obito threw a few shuriken, which Minato deflected with a kunai, before running at Minato with a kunai in hand. It was then that Kakashi swept in and almost reached a bell. However, the blond was fast enough to move.

This was a new development. He wondered if Kakashi was working with them or if he waited for the opportunity to grab it.

Sayo managed to get back on her feet. "That really hurt," she muttered. It wasn't sensei's full strength but back into a tree equals uncomfortable pain. She looked over to Obito. "Did he at least get one?"

"No he missed. He gloated that he could get one if we distracted him long enough and he missed." He was not pleased. When Minato dodged Kakashi, he also shoved Obito down on the ground in the process. At least he had his goggles to protect his eyes from dirt.

"He probably won't get one now. How much time do you think is left."

Obito looked up to the sky. "I'd say half-an-hour at most. Maybe a little less."

"We might be able to find him in time, but we don't have time to make preparations. Shall we just find them?" Sayo contemplated.

"This sucks. How are we supposed to pass now?" Obito kicked the ground.

"He was gaging our abilities. He probably just wanted us to go at him at full force and as a team. Why do you think I made a big deal about not getting a bell," said Sayo. Obito thought back to her conspiracy before they began. "Do you think Kakashi would have even used us if he thought we were his enemies? Well, he probably would. He's been sensei's student for years already. Both he and the village won't let him fail. That's my assessment. I could be wrong, but unlikely so."

The two wandered the forest area together. Obito didn't look too happy. "I shouldn't be surprised that you put up another act. I was worried though. I thought it was real." Sayo remained quiet to the comment so he continued. "I'm mad though. This test is only for us then."

"True, but the village is unlikely to turn down any graduates. Those not compatible with their sensei are probably reassigned unless completely incompetent. The war isn't lightning up. They need as many ninja as possible." Sayo's observations didn't make Obito feel better. It was Kakashi, Kakashi, Kakashi. Kakashi was better. He was respected more. He was liked. He was so sick of the idiot. Wait. Baka. Kakashi. Bakakashi. He grinned. Yeah, it was always about Bakakashi.

Sayo knew the grin couldn't mean anything good. She sighed.

* * *

Minato smiled towards his ruffled students while he was nicely clean and organized. He didn't have a big head, but it was amusing. "Alright. None of you got a bell, but you pass." None of them looked happy.

"I was hoping we could have at least gotten one," said Sayo.

"I touched one at least," replied Kakashi.

"But you didn't get it," teased Obito.

Minato blinked. Shouldn't they all be reassured or something.

"Can we go now sensei? I really need a bath," said Obito. Sensei hadn't been kind in a fight. They had been tossed around like dolls. And he was pretty sure he even had dirt in his underwear.

"You're dismissed. We'll meet here again tomorrow at the same time." They turned around to leave when he remembered something. "Sayo, stay here a minute."

Sayo had been surprised. She thought Kakashi would be the one asked to stay if anyone.

When the boys were out of sight he asked about her comments earlier. So that's what this is about.

"It was an act, sensei. I was hoping they would at least consider working together if they both knew they didn't have competition."

"How did you know the test?"

Sayo paused. She couldn't say she was wary but took the risk of listening to the voice in her head. While she doesn't take its suggestions, it's knowledge has been accurate so far. "It was a gamble."

Minato pinched his nose. "So it was just another act." Sayo looked away. "It wasn't?"

"No, it was. It was an act. Doesn't mean all the information was false." Minato looked like he wanted to question what that meant but let it slide for now. There was plenty of time to learn in the future when there was more trust. "Can I go know?"

"Oh, yeah."

Sayo began to head home, remembering the things she said that had been real. Her hand subconsciously moved to touch her left shoulder.


End file.
